Don't you just hate spoilers? I do, too. That's why I always try to include warnings. However, I sometimes ramble a bit too much here or there and maybe a few (or many) key plot points slip without me giving proper notice. So I'd like to include a blanket spoiler warning for the weary internet travelers of the world: Here There Be Spoilers. You've been warned.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Naruto (Season Two)

Well, I have finally completed the fifty-second episode of Naruto. Since that happens to be the final episode of the second season (episodes 27-52 comprise the second season according to Crunchyroll) then I suppose I will post my thoughts on the second season the same as I did with the first.

Naturally, you need to see the first season before the second or else nothing will make sense. At the end of season one all of the young Genin gathered at the forest of doom with the hopes of passing a test that would decide whether or not they made it to the next level of ninja testing.

Gaara: Ultimate Badass Sand Dude

Of course, there had to be some sort of trouble amiss to keep this test from running smoothly. This trouble comes in the form of a guy named Orochimaru. Orochimaru is the bad guy of this particular season, but nothing is particularly resolved here. After personally giving Naruto's teammate Sasuke a bizarre curse mark, Orochimaru creeps back to the shadows and lets his minions do the dirty work from there.

Of course, the minions fail and Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke all advance to the next test.

The next test happens to be a tournament between the trainees. That's right, folks. What he have here are a collection of fights a la Dragonball.

Of course, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura aren't the only ones fighting. That wouldn't be much of tournament, would it? We also have Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee, Gaara of the Sand, Orochimaru's minions, and a few others whose names I can't remember, too.

The second to last fight (Gaara Vs. Rock Lee) is the best one of the season. But it really is just a taste to come later.

Naturally, almost nothing is resolved in this season. Perhaps this is because there really wasn't anything to resolve from the first season. So it really is like watching another first season of the same show, I guess. Only this time the second season sets up for far complications then it could possibly resolve. Kinda like the writers said, "Hey, that last arc ended too quickly so let's throw a bunch of random stuff together and hope we can make sense of it later on." I mean, there's a reason that Naruto is one of the longest running anime out there at 220 episodes. Although, to be fair, there are shows that are longer.

Not saying this approach is bad, but it takes patience. A lot of it.

At the very end of the second season Naruto goes back to training because there will be a whole month before the next tournament. Here we are introduced to Jiraiya. This is important for later on. For now their meeting is just a mysterious punchline.

It has been a while since I have seen the third season so I can't really remember it, but I do hope it picks up some of the slack. Otherwise I don't think I will ever finish this show.